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Statewide, voters overwhelmingly approved a plan Tuesday to shut
down state-run liquor stores and allow the sale of hard alcohol at
grocery stores and other retailers.

But voters in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties had other ideas.
Those counties were the only two Western Washington counties — and
among only five statewide — to vote against the liquor
privatization plan, which appeared on the ballot as Initiative
1183. The measure got only 48 percent approval in Cowlitz County,
but it earned a whopping 59 percent "yes" vote statewide.

Observers said Friday they believe Cowlitz and Wahkiakum voters
snubbed the measure because voters here are more conservative on
social issues and resistant to change. A vigorous local campaign
against the measure — featuring Cowlitz County Sheriff Mark
Nelson — helped sway local opinion too, those observers said.

Nelson opposed the privatization measure because he believes it
will lead to more liquor sales and, thus, more underage drinking,
drunk driving and domestic violence. On Friday, the sheriff said he
believes local voters recognized that their communities already are
struggling with myriad substance abuse problems and feared
liberalizing liquor sales would make the problem worse.

"I think that people here took a fairly conservative approach
that said, ‘Hey, you know what? We don't like this idea ....
(Substance abuse) is one of those things that we're working against
now, I just don't know that we need any more,' " Nelson said.

John Morton, manager of the Triangle Mall branch of the
Washington State Liquor Store, said he believes voters here are
"more old-school." The area has a higher population of older voters
who are "resistant to change," he said.

Morton said he expects Longview's state-run liquor store will
shut down June 1.

Cowlitz County Commissioner George Raiter also said he believes
the "more energetic" No campaign locally made the difference among
voters.

"Everyone has their own reasons for voting and you can never
really know, but I think there was a pretty energetic local
campaign against it," said Raiter, who added he was one of the
county's 10,166 "no" votes. He added that the "yes" campaigns
tended to run more ads in the Puget Sound area, where the
initiative had 60 percent approval.

Longview's Dave Grumbois, who was the Southwest Washington
coordinator for the No on 1183 campaign, and others spent two years
campaigning against the initiative in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum
counties, starting with the previous liquor privatization measures
in 2010. Grumbois pointed out Friday that there was no organized
"Yes" group in Cowlitz County pushing the initiative.

And, Grumbois believes the county's strong union history also
played a role.

"We had a lot of union support in Cowlitz County, and while the
official campaign and ads talked about public safety, those of us
here in Cowlitz County knew it was all about jobs."

Grumbois said about 12 state liquor store employees locally are
set to lose their jobs now. He said voters also may have been
turned off that Costco, the big box discount retailer, bankrolled
the $22 million yes campaign. It's another case of a big company
pushing its weight around, he said.

"Cowlitz County understands small town community values and
understands the importance of local jobs and community," Grumbois
said. "Above all, that message did ring true in Cowlitz
County."

Wahkiakum County turned in the second-highest percentage of "no"
votes of any county in the state, with 54 percent of voters
opposing I-1183.

"I think our small community had a lot to do with it," said
Wahkiakum County Commissioner Lisa Marsyla.

Her county's population is about 4,000, and only 1,300 residents
voted on the liquor initiative. That means only a few votes in one
direction can sway the percentage. More importantly, Marsyla said,
an aggressive campaign on an issue can have a greater effect than
it would in a larger county.

The Wahkiakum Community Network, a non-profit group that works
to prevent substance abuse, made a strong push to get county
residents to oppose the initiative, Marsyla said.

"They were very vocal about the liquor (initiative)," Marsyla
said. "That might be a huge piece of it."

Opponents in Cowlitz County also fought hard against the
initiative.

"I think part of the reason is you had a very active "no" on
that from some local people, and they worked it hard," said Rep.
Dean Takko, who represents both counties.

Takko said he believes safety concerns may have been a factor
for some voters. He said others may have questioned whether a
change would lead to savings. After getting barraged with campaigns
from both sides, some voters may have simply been confused about
what to believe, he said.

"I don't think you can pin it down to really one thing," Takko
said.

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